Belly Fat

That spare tire you're nuturing isn't doing you any favors.

For the first time, scientists have found the smoking gun between belly fat and disease. What they discovered is that fat cells inside the abdomen give off molecules that increase inflammation. It's that inflammation that's been linked to heart disease, diabetes and other ailments.

Scientists had been stumped for a while. When apple shaped people had liposuction to remove stomach fat, they didn't get the benefit researchers expected. This time they studied what's called visceral fat- the fat that surrounds organs in your gut. Voila- tests on visceral fat showed it likley contributes to an increase in systemic inflammation and insulin resistance.

The take home from this: it's more important than ever to employ the one-two punch to trim your waistline - diet and exercise.

the study is reported in the journal DIABETES - the current issue.